If Tomorrow Never
by Lil Dreamer
Summary: Four months before the Androids appear, something happens that changes Vegeta's attitude toward fighting and brings up painful memories from his past. Not an actual update; my computer keeps eating the new chaps. :(
1. Without You

It's fanfic, I don't make any money from this.:-)Pretty please don't sue!(I also don't own the song.It's Dixie Chicks' Without You from the Fly CD.)

This is an A/U stemming from the three missing years.You're smart; you'll get it.:-)

This was originally going to be the prologue for a longer story, "The Ones You Touch," but that wasn't working out.I couldn't get the story out the way I wanted it, so it's tentatively scrapped.If you want more, though, (um, why?it's depressing!) email or review and give me ideas!JAnd if you want to email and say I suck, go ahead.I like mail.

If Tomorrow Never… part 1 of 2 - Without You

***I've sure enjoyed the rain, but I'm lookin' forward to the sun

***You have to feel the pain when you lose the love you gave someone

***I thought by now the time would take away these lonely tears

***I hope you're doing fine all alone, but where do I go from here?

Bulma looked at the baby boy asleep in the crib.Today he was 8 months old.Everyone had a party for him last night, but now the two were alone.She tried to smile at last night's memories, but she didn't quite make it.The expression was foreign after so long.

Eight months.She couldn't believe that much time had passed since she had last seen _him_.No, not everyone had been at the party.Eight months ago Vegeta left "to train."Why the hell had he stayed through her pregnancy only to leave when the baby finally came?To leave when she really needed him?

***Without you I'm not okay

***And without you I've lost my way

***My heart's stuck in second place

***Ooh, without you

She couldn't even get mad at him for leaving.She knew it was her fault.She just couldn't remember what she had done to drive him away.She couldn't remember a lot of things recently.She couldn't remember forming a _real_ smile since he left her, nor one day she hadn't collapsed into tears.Today, though, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't cry.Not even a little.

She thought back, trying to remember how long things had been like this, how long it had been since she hadn't screwed up.It was hard to think back that far.

Sleep.She just needed to sleep.Then things would be better.

***Well, I never thought I'd be lying here without you by my side

***It seems unreal to me that the life you promised was a lie

***You made it look so easy, making love into memories

***I guess you got what you wanted, but what about me?

She reached into her purse and pulled out the bottle the doctor had prescribed for her insomnia a few weeks before.She hadn't taken the pills then, but she was familiar with the drug.Mild in small doses; lethal even in medium ones.

But she wasn't thinking of that.All she could think about was getting away from the pain.Sleep.You can't feel if you're asleep.

***Without you I'm not okay

***And without you I've lost my way

***My heart's stuck in second place

***Ooh, without you

Bulma stared at the bottle for a few more minutes.She could take these.She could just sleep and sleep and never have to think of her former lover again.Or the way he used her.Screwed her until he was tired of her and left.Yes, she could.

She opened the bottle and took a handful of the pills, then placed the now-empty container in her nightstand

The few pills he had allowed her constituted almost a large dose.

***Somebody tell my head to try to tell heart

***That I'm better off without you, 'cause baby I can't live

The baby would sleep, too.He had all day.There was no reason to think he wouldn't stay asleep.Just in case, though, she should write a note.Tell them not to wake her, to just let her sleep.

"Shhh, Trunks.Mommy's tired, ok?You sleep now so she can, too," she cooed to the sleeping child.She climbed into bed, praying she wouldn't wake until the pain went away.

***Without you I'm not okay

***And without you I've lost my way

***My heart's stuck in second place

***Ooh, without you, without you


	2. Don't Wanna Lose You Now

If Tomorrow Never...

This is fanfic, so I make no money.I pwomise to put 'em back where I found 'em, Mommy!(Yeah, yeah, the song is BSB's.)Why, oh, why can I not remember the original name of Goku's "Instant Transmission" thingie?Do you know?Please tell me!

This was originally going to be part 1 of a longer story, "The Ones You Touch," but that wasn't working out.I couldn't get the story out the way I wanted it, so it's tentatively scrapped.If you want more, though, (um, why?it's depressing!) email or review and give me ideas!JAnd if you want to email and say I suck, go ahead.I like mail.

DBZ A/U 

If Tomorrow Never… part 2 of 2 - Don't Wanna Lose You Now

***I never thought I would lose my mind,

***That I could control this.

***Never thought that I'd be left behind,

***That I was stronger than you, baby.

In a far-off mountain range, a certain Saiya-jin was absentmindedly perfecting the technique of snow-blasting.Something was wrong with his mate, and he knew it.

All these months apart had done nothing to weaken the bond between them.He knew she was unhappy, but was sure she understood that he _had_ to train to defeat the Androids.With less than a year left, he was forced to take a break from his distractions.

The brat had driven that point home for him.Seeing the tiny, perfect mini-him made Vegeta realize just how much he had invested in this planet, in these people, in his _family_.There was no way he would ever let anything happen to them.

***Girl, if only I knew what I've done...

***You know, so why don't you tell me?

***And I, I would bring down the moon and the sun

***To show how much I care.

But something was really wrong with that baka onna, he realized suddenly.He was rarely able to sense her chi; it was something else that told him to get to her.The urgency of the situation hit him, and not for the first time he wished he knew that instant-whatever technique of Kakarotto's.He flew as quickly as he could to her.

***Don't wanna lose you now, baby.

***I know we can win this.

***Don't wanna lose you now,

***No, no, or ever again.

Her presence in his mind was fading, fast, and he urged his body past any limit he knew or had ever thought of in his rush to get to her.

When he got to the balcony, he thought she was taking one of her "naps," but her face was off, the color wrong.Not wrong, per se, but wrong for her.And he knew what those colors meant.

***I've got this feeling you're not gonna stay;

***It's burning within me.

"ONNA!"Screw the door; he had to get to her!"Bulma!Come on!Wake up!Wake UP!"Even as he said this, even as the tears poured down his face, even as he tried to rouse her, he knew it was too late.Her heart had stopped before he even reached her.

***The fear of losing,

***Of slipping away,

***Just keeps getting closer, baby.

He clutched her lifeless body closer, and in the small room a single heartbreaking question was heard over and over: "Why, onna, why'd you leave me?"

***Whatever reason to leave that I've had,

***My place was always beside you.

He sat cradling her for hours, until the brat started wailing and brought him back to the world of the living.As he went to pick up his son, his every step, every movement, showed the effects of this day.The once-proud Saiya-jin was broken.

***And I wish that I didn't need you so bad;

***Your face just won't go away.

Mechanically, he changed his son's diaper and prepared food.Though he had never spent a day in this child's presence, he knew how to take care of an infant.This wasn't the first time the responsibility of a child was his, though he'd never tell the others that.

He was forced to return to his mate's room - funny how it would never be his again, or theirs, that was what he wanted - when the brat soiled his clothes.

Vegeta tried to avoid looking at her body, to keep his mind on the task at hand, his son, but his attention was drawn to a piece of paper lying near her.When he read it, tears again threatened.*So, she took herself away from me.That is... not acceptable, but I can... live... with it.But for her dying words to take him away from me, too...No.*

***I never thought that I would lose my mind,

***That I could control this.

Vegeta wasn't stupid.He'd seen the marks before, the straight, faint pink scars that seemed to go forever along her wrists and arms, the smaller, more recent criss-crosses.But they were old marks, old before the two had even met.

He knew what those marks meant: she had been a cutter.Someone who purposely inflicted pain on herself to make the hurt go away.

***Never thought that I'd be left behind,

***That I was stronger than you.

Mom, Dad,

If Trunks wakes before I do, take him downstairs.Keep him with you, ok?I took some pills, don't remember how many, to help me sleep.Don't want to wake up until it's better.

Thought today.Still can't figure out why he left me, what I did.That's ok.He left me, he left Trunks, and he won't see him again.Son-kun promised.

Don't want to wake up until it doesn't hurt.Please don't make me.

***Don't wanna lose to loneliness.

***Girl, I know we can win.

He couldn't lose both of them like this.He packed his son's things, intending to take him away.Training, Androids, Kakarotto, all be damned!If he hadn't needed to be stronger, he would have been here!He could have done something to stop her!

If he had been here, maybe she wouldn't have broken his heart like this.

***Don't wanna lose to emptiness,

***Oh, no, never again.

He couldn't stay, but he couldn't leave her yet.He took the brat and sat outside her room, door shut.He was numb.They sat together, father and son, silent, for another hour.

Finally the onna's parents come home.Vegeta stood and asked them to come upstairs.

He handed Dr. Briefs the note."I found her like this when I got here.I'm taking my son."

The older man read the note, and with misty eyes noted the defeated look on the prince's face.He nodded and went to comfort his sobbing wife, leading her out of the room.

Vegeta paused before leaving.He had to see her face once more, to _make sure_ she was really gone.She was.A final tear rolled down his face.It was wrong to mourn those who took their own lives.Those who took the coward's way out died an honorless death.But he couldn't stop himself.

Out of respect for the dead, he drew the sheet over her face.Out of respect for his sanity, he closed the door on this chapter of his life, just as he had done once before when the one thing he dared cherish was taken from him.Still, after all this time, he hadn't learned that it was best to just close off his heart as he did his emotions.He even pitied himself for being such a weakling.

Then his eyes locked with his son's.The defeated prince had a lot of things to make right, but he had a reason to fix the ones he could.As he continued to gaze into his son's eyes, the words of a song he once heard her sing ran through his head.

"Don't wanna lose you now,

I know we can win this.

Don't wanna lose you now,

No, no, or ever again.

Don't wanna lose you now."

And he intended to make sure he never would.


	3. Never Had a Dream

Yadda, yadda, yadda!I don't own DBZ!

Now that that's out of the way, I want to say thanks for the reviews!I'm going to keep posting, but the chapters will be slow until I figure out where the plot is going now.More reviews will help, especially if I get lots of the kind that tell me where people think the story should go or what they've liked so far.LOLI actually wasn't going to post any more until I read some of the emails and reviews, so it really does help!

It takes a turn for the weird here, and I know this one's short and pointless, but you'll get it later, promise!And I know the title of the chapter has nothing to do with anything, but I'm listening to S Club 7 and couldn't think of a title at all.Let me have my fun!

AIM and ICQ are both on my author page at ff.n, so feel free to grab 'em or email me at [lil.dreamer@excite.com][1]!

If Tomorrow Never… - Ch. 2 - Never Had a Dream

_Two people stepped onto the huge spaceship.Ok, so one of them stepped and the other was dragged, but the point is that they got on._

_ _

_The elder was a teenager, barely 17, but his stern face and ever-present scowl made him appear older.He turned to the younger, a small girl, perhaps 3 years old, and in a harsh voice asked, "Do you remember what I told you earlier?"_

_ _

_The child moved away from him and stood submissively, eyes downcast, before replying, "Yes, your highness, I remember my orders."_

_ _

_"So, you're finally here, Prince Vegeta.This is the servant you wished to bring?"Frieza circled the child, carefully examining what could be considered his newest acquisition."Small for its apparent age, thin, no fighting power.What could you possible want with it?"_

_ _

_Vegeta carefully controlled his response."The child belonged to one I owed a debt of honor to.It was the brat's father's wish that she accompany me on any journey I took.As her father is now gone, it has been decided I shall keep her as a personal servant."_

_ _

_"You monkeys and your honor..."Frieza shook his head and with his tail raised the girl's chin.When they were eye-to-eye, he spoke._

_ _

_"Child, have you been receiving lessons?"_

_ _

_"Yes, sir.His highness began training me only weeks ago."Vegeta wasn't leaving anything to chance and had instructed her how to respond to a variety of questions before they boarded._

_ _

_"Fighting, then?And what of your duties?Has someone trained you in those?"_

_ _

_"Lord Frieza, if I may?"Vegeta waited for the lizard-like tyrant to acknowledge him before continuing, "The child is frail and performs few duties as yet.I handle most things myself.She watches me and takes on new duties as her abilities allow."_

_ _

_"I see."Turning his attention back to the girl, "As you are too... frail, as your master says, when you finish your duties, you will report to me.I will find you a tutor, and we shall see if you will be more valuable as perhaps a scientist.I trust that is fine with you?"_

_ _

_The girl's eyes darted to Vegeta (who nodded) before she gave her response: "Yes, sir."_

_ _

_Frieza released her chin and ordered one of the many guards to take her to Vegeta's quarters.After she was gone, he spoke again to the prince._

_ _

_"I thought you would be glad for her to do something besides sit around.She may prove to be brilliant.I could see something in her eyes...They were green.Odd color for a Saiya-jin, ne?"_

_ _

_"I am glad you have something for her to do.I was wondering what tasks I could design for her while I was training.As for her eyes, she is the only Saiya-jin I have ever seen with them."_

_ _

_"How... unusual.There were others coming with you, were there not?"_

_ _

_The Saiya-jin made an ugly face before replying, "Yes, palace guards.Radditz and Napa.May I be excused, my lord?I wish to see my quarters."_

_ _

_"Of course."_

Vegeta woke with a start.These dreams had plagued him for the last three months without reason.He refused to go back to sleep, knowing more visions of his past life would haunt him.At least tonight's weren't the nightmares.All he needed was Kakarotto rushing in to calm him down.

The one-time prince settled in to think over past events and watch the brat sleep 'til the sun rose.This was quickly becoming routine for them.Well, he usually thought of his past.Today he thought of events that had not yet come.

He and Trunks had been alone for three months.In a few weeks the Androids would appear to wreak havoc on Chikyuu.And Vegeta wasn't going to fight them.

Since he had taken his son, Vegeta hadn't really sparred or even spent much time practicing.His heart was no longer in the sport, and he didn't care.Working the old forms for hours every day kept him in decent shape and gave a new grace to his movements, and meditating cleared his mind.That was all he wanted now.

Kakarotto probably still thought he would fight in this battle, the baka.

Kuso!He couldn't even come up with a good insult today!

Today was the day he would tell Kakarotto he wouldn't fight for this planet.It rivaled only Frieza's station in remembered pain.As his thoughts focused on the spiky-haired Saiya-jin, he noticed something odd in Kakarotto's chi signature.'Ah, the virus has shown itself.Just as well.'

With that thought, he looked to the eastern sky, waiting for the sun to rise.

***

Though they had all gone in different directions to train, the Z Senshi remained in close contact.At one time, most though they would train and meet again only to fight, but the Fates conspired otherwise.

Bulma's funeral forced an unhappy reunion months early.They had known something was wrong when Vegeta's chi suddenly grew to previously unthought of levels before practically disappearing.

He was the only one of Chikyuu's warriors not to attend the services.

Surprisingly, Yamcha was the first to side with Vegeta.They practically shared the same code of honor, as did most of the senshi, and in their code, suicide was a big no-no.He understood that Vegeta felt cheated and betrayed, because he did, too.Bulma had been his friend all these years, and she took that away, not only from him and the man she supposedly loved, but from her son as well.There was no honor in that.

Yamcha also understood because he had been there since the beginning.When Vegeta thought no one was looking, he would just watch her.Everything she did fascinated him, and his scowl would soften dramatically as long as she was near.Any idiot could see that she was becoming Vegeta's life, his goddess.That was why he finally accepted Vegeta, at least in his own mind.Yamcha was seemingly omnipresent those first months of their relationship, and in that short time, Vegeta had become a new person.He was the same old Vegeta on the outside; inside, though...

Goku was second to side with Vegeta, with everyone else falling in behind him.For Goku, it was easy to understand why Vegeta didn't attend.Goku almost didn't come for what he suspected were the same reasons Vegeta didn't.It hurt.Bulma had been a part of his life for so long, and then she was gone.

Goku knew about the pills and the note, too.One time he tried to put himself in Vegeta's shoes, just role-play with his own family as the characters, but he couldn't do it.The mere thought tore him up inside.Chi-chi still didn't know why he came into the kitchen that night, sitting silently, just watching while she did the dishes.

The others, while they did understand, hadn't been as close to Bulma.Unlike Vegeta, Goku, Yamcha, and Chi-chi (who still blamed Vegeta for her friend's death), none of them ever thought, "If only I..."

If only I spent more time with her...

If only I listened to her more...

If only I had told her how much I love her...

If only, if only, if only, If Only, If Only, If Only, IF ONLY, IF ONLY, IF ONLY…

If only there were second chances in real life...

   [1]: lil.dreamer@excite.com



	4. Secrets

Um...Ooh, I know!It's "Make Your Own Disclaimer" Day!Have fun with it!

Ok, should the dream girl show up on Chikyuu?Or should she have died in the past?Or something else?And just who is this girl?After you read this chapter, let me know what you think!I have nothing more written past this point (but I do know who the girl is, so you can't really affect that) and too, too many ideas, so now you get to help write the story!(That sounded so cheesy!Eh, who cares, really?)Review, [email][1], ICQ, I don't care how you do it!JAnd I know you all want more B/V, but from this point on, she features a lot less.She (or at least mentions of her) will still be in the story, but not for a little while.I gotta get Cell in here sometime, too, so thing's'll speed up a bit!At least, I hope they will…

Oh, and yeah, I figured out about the screwy timeline in one of the other chapters.That line that said the funeral forced them to reunite almost a year early _should_ have said something along the lines of a few months early.I've changed it in my copy, but not the ff.n one.Oops!

The Ones You Touch - Ch. 3 - Secrets

_"Your highness, I've finished my chores for the evening.May I play now?"The girl was the one from his previous dreams, still small, though she was probably 5 or 6 now._

_ _

_"Of course, if you've finished your school work."Vegeta watched the child as she walked into the small bedroom they shared and frowned.Sometimes something about her very existence bothered him.She was full-blooded Saiya-jin, but so weak, nowhere near the power level she should be.And her eyes…Like none he had ever seen before, vibrant and full of color.Lately in those eyes he could see that she had been hiding things from him, keeping secrets._

_ _

_He rose to follow her, setting aside the plans for the next day's purging mission for more immediate concerns.When he reached the door, he saw her efficiently pulling back and smoothing his bed coverings.Her small pallet was in the corner waiting for her, as well.She always went to sleep hours before he did but made sure to have his things ready._

_ _

_"I thought you were going to play."It was their nightly ritual.Vegeta knew well the reason she was performing these tasks. She did this every night, waiting for him to come "play" with her.If he had not come by the time she finished, she went to bed quietly, knowing he did not want to be disturbed.Knowing his part, he reached into a small cabinet and pulled out an old chess set.He didn't know where it had come from, only that it had been a spoil of war and was a strategy game.Vegeta considered it part of her education._

_ _

_He sat at the table and quickly set up the pieces.The girl sat across from him, keeping her head lowered, not speaking.Unusual._

_ _

_"What's wrong, little one?Are you mad at me?Hm?"Vegeta reached toward her, trying to make her look at him.Suddenly his hand stopped._

_ _

_The child had looked up.And the look on her face was enough to scare him.He'd never seen anything like that from her before._

_ _

_She looked at him with so much hatred, so much hurt in her eyes.Vegeta knew instinctively he was dreaming again but couldn't get out._

_ _

_The dream girl accused him: "You left me!You abandoned me, and I needed you!Didn't I mean anything to you?"Her voice lowered and tears fell, truly a heart-breaking sight._

_ _

_Vegeta felt his heart shatter at the words."No…"The single syllable barely above a whisper, an almost silent plea for her to stop, but he couldn't affect anything in this dream world."No!I saved you!I got you away from them!They were hurting you.Don't you remember?"_

_ _

_She sobbed out the only answer a lonely, frightened six-year-old could: "Why didn't you help me?Why didn't you stay with me?Didn't you want me anymore?"_

With a burst of power, Vegeta bolted out of the bed, breathing hard and covered in sweat, glaring at the pillow as though he thought it would come after him.Goku immediately burst through the door, and not for the first time Vegeta regretted accepting the other Saiya-jin's offer to share his home.

True, sometimes it was almost a comfort to see a familiar face after some of the dreams, _'Like this one…'_ his mind whispered, but one of these days Kakarotto was just going to get blasted to another dimension rushing in like that.

And along came the brat as well.Gohan ran in seconds after Kakarotto, woken by the power surge moments before.

"Go back to bed, son."Goku's voice was quiet and deadly serious, like when the battle had just turned bad, and though Gohan wanted answers, he knew better than to go against it.But, still…His father was never like this unless something was really wrong.

"But what-"

"Vegeta and I have everything under control.Go."He went."All right, Vegeta, what happened?Another one of those dreams?"

"Yeah.Go on, Kakarotto.One of us should get some rest tonight."Vegeta went to stand by the window, watching the sky's edge slowly lighten in preparation for the morning.

Goku let out a tired sigh and complied."But you know where to find me if you need…"His voice trailed off at the end as Vegeta turned slightly and nodded.

Leaving the room, Goku reflected on how much the Saiya-jin no Ouji had changed since Bulma's death.At first he had taken full responsibility for baby Trunks.He was a good father, but refused to set foot on Capsule Corp. grounds, getting Goku to take the baby to see his grandparents every couple of weeks.He hadn't stopped his training, but it changed.He no longer cared about being strongest.Goku could tell the new training regimen was nothing more than an attempt to keep what remained of his sanity as intact as possible.

After a month of this, Goku asked Vegeta to move into the Son's home.It had taken some convincing to get both Chi-Chi and Vegeta to agree, but Goku could be extremely stubborn when he wanted something.And amazingly, his plot worked.After few days of living together, the two were actually getting along.Kind of.Chi-Chi and Gohan both took an interest in Trunks' well-being and care, leaving Vegeta more free time.He and Goku were sparring again, but nowhere near the intensity they had been before.

Then Vegeta's dreams started waking Goku.The power surges after a nightmare, the tossing and turning and moaning from the bad dreams, the obvious lack of sleep, all of it bothered Goku, and he was eager to help his friend however he could.

His friend…Goku wryly smiled at the thought.Before, Vegeta yelled every time he uttered the dreaded word.Now Goku saw the prince's eyes lighten when Goku mentioned their relationship.It was almost funny.After Bulma…Well, - _after_ - , Goku expected Vegeta to turn in on himself, push himself, kill himself, anything but what he actually did.He became human-like; he turned to others (in a Vegeta-like way that was kind of weird and almost scary, of course), Goku especially.Emotions and words were still an improbability for him, unless you could read his eyes.They showed everything now, and begged not to be hurt again.

Suddenly Goku frowned and stopped, remembering what Vegeta had said while they were sparring the day before.

_"I'm not going to fight them.I thought you should know," he said, firing a ki blast at the shocked Saiya-jin._

_ _

_"What?Vegeta, why?"Goku dodged and threw two back._

_ _

_"'Why' what?Why fight for this miserable planet?Why fight for something that I hate?"Vegeta knocked the blasts away and sat on the grass."Why should I?"_

_ _

_"Vegeta, as much as you may hate it here, this is your _home_, yours and your son's.It's not like you can go somewhere else."Vegeta turned away, knowing the truth of the words, but Goku wasn't finished."If there's anything on this planet you care about, I know it's him.Please, Vegeta, at least fight for Trunks' future."_

_ _

_Vegeta rose and turned his back completely on the tall Saiya-jin to walk into the house."I'll think about it.You should rest."_

_ _

_"Huh?Vegeta, you're acting weird."But the other Saiya-jin was already gone.Oh, well.A nap did sound nice._

"Rest?" he asked himself, seeming unaware he was speaking out loud, "Maybe Vegeta really is losing it.…Oh, I'm just going back to bed!"And he continued toward the stairs, not really paying attention to the sounds around him.

But if Goku had been listening, he could almost have heard something that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle coming from the door he had just vacated.

@@@

Ooh, Vegeta chuckling cannot be a good thing…Can it?I'm not sure…Don't forget to vote for "dream girl."Should she come to Chikyuu?Or did she die and Vegeta just hasn't had that nightmare yet?Or something else?You can vote for who you think she is if you like, but you probably won't change my mind unless it's something I would never have thought of.Leave your vote in a review, ICQ message, or [email][1], pretty please!J

[][1]

   [1]: mailto:lil.dreamer@excite.com



	5. Future Calling

You know what I say?Screw the disclaimers!It's a chaptered story, and every other chapter has had one.Isn't that enough???Um, what are you doing?Legal-Wait a sec!What are the handcuffs-No, no, wait!Bring the handcuffs back!I don't _need_ the straightjacket!

A.N. - The jury is still out on the dream girl issue...That's ok.For now.Vote, people!LOLPretty please?And didn't I say I'd be moving faster?Sheesh.Ferget it.

I was rereading the story, and we seem to have two different stories on what's happened since Bulma's death.I'm surprised no one's flamed me for that one.JIn case you planned on it and haven't gotten around to it, yet, it's intentional.Just acknowledge that it's two completely different people, each telling the events from his own perspective.And if you have no clue what I'm talking about, I overanalyze things.

If Tomorrow Never… - Ch. 4 - Future Calling

Sunrise.It was one of the few things Vegeta liked about this planet.The atmosphere made the colors vibrant, and they flourished.Thinking about the vibrancy of the colors made his mind wander to another bright color.Specifically green.

Why were these dreams haunting him?Why now?After 10 years of nothing, he never would have expected nightmares about those times onboard Frieza's ship.Honestly, considering recent events, he never thought he'd think of her again.There was nothing, no one left to remind him of his past failure.

Except himself.And, albeit unknowingly and unwillingly, his son.

'_That's why you're staying with me,'_ he thought, watching Trunks sleep, _'I know the consequences otherwise.'_

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the familiar morning noises of the waking household.He heard Chi-Chi moving toward the kitchen.That meant it would be, oh, 2 seconds until Kakarotto started his ritual whining.

Right on time he heard, "But, Chi-Chi, I'm HUNGRY.Pleeeeaaaase???" followed by the similarly ritualistic slamming of the frying pan upon the baka's head.No wonder the spiky-haired Saiya-jin was so brain-damaged.

Vegeta shook his head.No, he didn't have to be in the room to know this one.Over the past two months it had been enacted almost every day.

Waking Trunks, Vegeta, too, got ready for breakfast.Before he went to the table, though, he stopped by one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a small bottle.

"Hey, Vegeta, whatcha doin'?"

"Kakarotto.Remember this?It's that medicine that kid gave you.I suggest you take it now."

"But, Vegeta, I don't feel sick at all."

"You will be feeling worse than sick if you don't take it now, Kakarotto.And I'm _not_ talking about the heart virus," Vegeta finished the sentence with a growl.Not wanting to put up with the other man this morning, he sat Trunks in his chair and took his breakfast outside.As Gohan generally volunteered to feed the brat, he was fairly confidant in leaving him.

Vegeta thought as he ate.It was funny how the others hadn't noticed the change in Kakarotto's ki.True, the change was slight and they had other things to worry about, but…Did this mean Vegeta was getting soft, focusing more on the people and not the battle?

No, he decided, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what that little fact did mean.

*** 

The next few weeks passed quickly.Goku had taken Vegeta's suggestion regarding the medicine.Actually, Chi-Chi was the one who took the suggestion seriously, but the end result was the same.After a few days of the treatment, Vegeta was surprised to find himself relieved that Kakarotto's ki had returned to normal.

Vegeta's dreams still haunted both of the Chikyuu-bound Saiya-jin at night.Since the time they had woken Gohan, however, the dreams were a little less frequent.Less frequent, but more disturbing.So when a mysterious figure, likely a bored altruistic dream-walker in Vegeta's opinion, began arriving at the end of the dreams, assisting Vegeta's fights against the ghosts and calming the small girl who still starred in the worst nightmares, Vegeta welcomed his or her presence.Off-hours visits from Kakarotto became less common, something both decided was a relief.

Everyone, including Vegeta, had stepped up his training in a last-ditch effort to prepare.The day before the androids fated appearance, the Z Senshi gathered once again in Goku's front yard.

As they talked, each wondered about the events of the next day.Would the future haunt them?Was the destruction from the boy's time inevitable?Would they survive this fight?

Not one asked the questions.Not one had the answers.

And far away from the gathering at Goku's, two sets of shadowed eyes carefully watched a hidden cave from the nearby forest.

"Is this it?"

"Yes.It's almost time."

"Will they succeed?If they don't…"

"If they don't, we step in and finish the job.They'll never know what hit them."

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All right.That's it!I think the presence of a healthy Goku will change things.Remember to vote for Dream Girl!JOh, yeah, sorry for the short chapter, guys!

_ _


	6. Arrival

mara jade - Um…Totally unintentional!Although when I went back and read it, I saw it, too.Let's just leave it ambiguous for now.J

[insert disclaimer here]

A/N - This fic will probably be going on hiatus after this part.School must come before everything sometimes.LAside from that, I never had a chance to see the original versions of the Android and Cell Sagas, so we're going with the dub's events.Sorry if that bugs you!And I'm skipping around, too.It IS an AU, after all!This doesn't start where the last chapter left off, so don't think something's missing.I kind of figured that everyone knows what's going on, and I don't particularly want to rewrite the whole saga.

If Tomorrow Never… - Ch. 4 - Arrival

Yamcha cursed his luck.Of _course_ he was the one to find the Androids first._Especially_ since there was _no one else_ anywhere close.He would have growled in frustration if it weren't for the way the old guy was holding him up.

And the hole in his chest wasn't helping.It was hard to breathe.He held out as long as his body would allow, but it wasn't good enough.Once the energy drain actually started, he lost consciousness quickly, and didn't realize when the others arrived.

***

"Krillin, listen!There's still a chance to save him.Take him back to the cliff and give him one of the senzu beans.Go, now, as fast as you can!"

"I'm on it!"Krillin then growled at the Android before taking his fallen comrade to safety.

Once they reached the cliff, Krillin forced the senzu down Yamcha's throat.Yamcha recovered slowly, but was well enough in time for the explosion that took out most of the island.The two, along with Gohan and Yajirobe, stood shocked at the villians' handiwork.

"Oh, Kami," Yamcha breathed, unable to accept all those people dying.He swallowed before adding, "We should go."

All save Yajirobe agreed."Into a war zone?You've _got_ to be kidding me!No thanks, no way!"With that he sat down right where he was, unable to go anywhere else since his transportation had been blown up.

Yamcha left, muttering, "Coward," in the general direction of the 'fraidy cat.The others followed him and half-heartedly hoped Yajirobe would be safe by himself.

By the time they found the Z senshi, the battle had been moved to a deserted island nearby.Goku was allowing the others to take on the Androids ahead of him, wanting Vegeta in particular to get some of his frustrations out on something not him.While it was true that Goku was stronger than the Saiya-jin prince, Vegeta had no qualms about fighting dirty and using underhanded tricks, especially when he hadn't slept the night before.

Even thinking about those "fights" made Goku wince, and he forced his mind back to searching for weaknesses in their enemies.Vegeta played with the shorter Android, the one that looked like a doll.Goku disapproved of his tactics but wouldn't step in or say anything unless necessary.

Just then the Android grabbed Vegeta by the wrists.Before Goku even had a chance to move, a voice snarled in his mind, _'Back off, Kakarotto."_That stopped him cold.He didn't know Vegeta could do that.Goku thought for a moment on whether he should listen to him and decided things would be ok for a few minutes more.He settled in to watch the show.

***

Vegeta was enjoying his fight.Taunting the imbecile in front of him was a dangerous move, but made things so much more interesting.Finally the Android grabbed his wrists, and Vegeta felt a surge of power from Kakarotto's direction.He also felt the Android stealing some of his power, but that wouldn't last long.

In the heat of the moment, Vegeta used a power he hadn't since his Chikyuu arrival.He forced one single thought into the other Saiya-jin's head.It was a success.Not only did the power die back down, but Kakarotto wore this amusing deer-in-the-headlights expression, too.Mentally, Vegeta grinned at the dopey look.

Just then he decided to end the fight.He knew Kakarotto wouldn't be as easily waylaid the next time he decided to interrupt Vegeta's fun.In a sudden burst of the power he had kept hidden from the Android, he ripped the machine's arms off and tossed them aside.

Vegeta used the stunned silence to finish the villain, blowing the body up and smashing its head.Smirking at his triumph, Vegeta turned to the remaining contraption and thought to himself, _'Hm, smashing things is fun today.Wanna do it again.'_Then his smirk grew because he had made a funny.Duh, smashing things was _always_ fun.

But to be fair, he'd give the others a chance."Anyone else want a shot?If not, I think I'll introduce this guy to some acquaintances in the other dimension."No reason for them to think he was selfish.Not that he wasn't, but…Vegeta paused inwardly.This was a weird mental exchange.Being slammed into that mountain a few minutes ago must have hurt his head a leetle more than he had originally thought.Then he gave a mental shrug, dismissing the thoughts completely.He was having fun.What more mattered?

"Vegeta…Oh, go ahead."Goku knew something was off with Vegeta, but he also knew better than to actually say that.Then the maniacal gleam reentered Vegeta's eyes, and Goku was sorry he hadn't.Sorry for the Android, anyway.

***

"Baka!Stop that!We don't have time for toys."In the darkened room, a slender figure, a girl by the voice, moved quickly toward her goal, hissing at the bulky figure amazed at everything in the chamber.

"What I wouldn't give…" the other figure breathed.

"Quit gawking!Do you have the new code?"

"Of course, highness.Here are the disks."The large creature, male, handed his companion two disks, motioning toward a computer terminal set to the side of the room.He knew she wanted to do this part of the operation herself.

"Oh, I _so_ hope this guy doesn't have any cameras in here."Her voice trailed as she began to hack through the simple security of the system.

"Does it really matter, Ten-chan?We'll destroy everything on our way out."

The girl paused for a moment, face and expression still shadowed."True.And it's not like we won't be done before he gets back," she lightly laughed.As she waited for the new code to download from the computer to its final destination, she scanned the system's files idly.One caught her eye."Kuso.Take a look at this."

Her muscular companion returned to gaze at the computer screen.He, too, sounded shocked, "We can't-"

"No, we can't.There's the machine, over there," her tone quiet as she pointed to an ominously glowing cylinder, about 6 meters tall at the other end of the room.

"I'll take care of it."With that, the shadow moved toward the tank.Suddenly the entire cavern was flooded by a brilliant golden-blue light, followed by a loud explosion.

"Never, 'ji-san, let it be said you don't love drama," the girl sighed, settling back in time to see the download finish."They're ready.We get them some place safe, then I want to check on the fight."

"Hai."The man reached to the side and grabbed a remote.Using the control he activated two of the large pods while his companion opened a third.

Ninmu kanryou.

***

Vegeta felt himself begin to flag as the battle with the Android wore on.He would never admit a weakness, though, so he graciously allowed Kakarotto to "assist" him.

"Oi, Kakarotto, you're looking bored.If you beg, I might allow you to join in on my fight."

Kakarotto wasn't fooled for a second.Grinning, he threw back, "Thanks, Vegeta!I thought you'd never ask!"

"Get in here and fight, kisama, or close your mouth.It's not like I need your help."Vegeta was acting, more than anything else, but he had to keep up appearances.

Before Goku had a chance to join in, all present felt a strong new ki."Trunks is here!" Piccolo shouted.

_'Trunks?!?'_­ Vegeta wondered._'But he's with Kakarotto's mate.Wait, it's that boy again!'_Vegeta watched as the boy drew nearer._'Huh, never noticed how much my son looks like him…Waitasec!I thought he'd been gone this whole time.But why would he and my son look so similar?Unless…'_Vegeta's thoughts ended about that time as he noticed Kakarotto nearly faint.

Goku had been thinking thoughts similar to Vegeta's, mostly noticing how much the teen looked like his younger self.Then one other thought struck him: In this boy's world, he had only his mother.How would he react to the truth of this past?How would he deal with the fact that his mother had killed herself?Goku blanched at the questions and stared at the halfling.

And the Android took the opportunity to make an escape.

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A/N - Anyone catch the GW references?*g*I just couldn't resist!Email me if you didn't and want them explained.Also, again to mara jade, yes, I know that this chapter had some more possible references, but…*g*** **

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	7. No!

Warning - Mild language, more Vegeta grumpiness, angsty (I hope)

Warnings - Mild language, more Vegeta grumpiness, humor possibly in bad taste, angsty (I hope), and not enough of a buffer between the two; possible OOCs for Mirai Trunks, Vegeta, Goku, even Piccolo; this chapter was written late at night under the influence of papers, presentations, and projects due the next day!Eep!Gotta go!

Also, barely proofread, so bear with, por favor!

If Tomorrow Never - Ch. 5 – No!

_Please, God,_

_Tell me I'm still asleep._

~Pinch Me, Barenaked Ladies

Thank Kami Piccolo, at least, was paying attention to the important things.Before the Android was even half a dozen steps away, Piccolo had managed to swoop down and grab him by the scruff of his neck.Intending to focus the Saiya-jin's attention back to this fight before Trunks asked the inevitable questions, like "Hey, guys, where's my mom?How's she doing?," he called out, "Trunks, I think you should have a talk with your father and Goku about your mother, but LATER!" he all but roared.

Trunks looked confusedly back at the Namek-jin before glancing first at Vegeta, then Goku."My mother?What's going on?"

_'Why did that boy look at me?He's… Trunks?But he came back in time.How would he_ not _know about what happened?'_Vegeta was beyond confused now.He was also tired, cranky, and concussion-y.Vegeta was having a not-so-good day, which meant someone in the near future would be having a _terrible_ one.And Vegeta looked forward to giving it._'Hm, maybe Namek.He deserves a good thrashing or two.Show-off.'_Choosing to ignore everyone for the time being, Vegeta just turned his back and cleared his mind.Someone else could deal with that bastard now.

Trunks gave Vegeta a questioning look, wondering what he was doing when there was obviously a fight going on.Goku, meanwhile, just sighed toward the moody prince and turned his attention to the swaying Android.

"Um, Goku, I don't know if this is a good time to bring this up or not, but that's not one of the Android's from my world," Trunks piped up quietly after refocusing his attention.

"You know," Goku cynically (and completely OOC) said, "I'd love to say I didn't expect to hear that.The way things have been going around here, though…"He simply shook his head and went over to help Piccolo destroy the baddie.

"There are more coming after me," the Android suddenly spoke up.He knew there weren't really; he had failed to activate the others prior to leaving.

His last hope of scaring them into letting him slip away was completely dashed, however, by Piccolo's next sarcastic statement:"Oh, well then, Goku, let's end his existence now so we don't have to worry about it."

As Goku was about at the end of his own rope, he readily agreed, "Ok!Let 'er rip!"

Piccolo tossed the Android into the air, not too high, and Goku readied a special blast, just for him.As the Android came down, Goku let it fly.While he and Piccolo looked almost proud of themselves, Gohan, Yamcha, and Krillin could only look on in amazement at Goku's cruel side.Vegeta ignored everyone.

And Trunks wondered just when he had dropped into the Twilight Zone.

***

After everyone recovered from his shock, the Z senshi were ready to go home.

Just then, Piccolo remembered something."Goku, he said 'others.'But I don't think he was bluffing."

"Where would they be?"And that's just the kind of question Fate loves. At that moment, a huge explosion was heard from another island.The senshi immediately flew into the air to see where it came from.

"Over there, that mountain," Yamcha was pointing it out to the others, and they all watched it collapse.

***

"Oi, 'ji-san, you're right!This stuff is pretty damn cool!What's it called again?"

"Dynamite, Ten-chan."

"Mountain fall down, go **_BOOM_**!!!"

"That's right, Ten-chan."

***

Although the warriors searched the area thoroughly, they found no trace of whatever had destroyed the mountain.Aside from the smell of the explosives that still lingered, there was nothing: no footprints, no ki signatures, no unusual smells.Nothing that would lead them to the culprit.

Although it _was_ obvious that this had been some kind of research facility or lab or something.There was enough metal on the ground in recognizable shapes for them to see that.They wondered if this was where the Androids had come from, and, if so, why and by whom was this place destroyed?

Another strange thing about this explosion: no burning meat smell.That meant there had been no animals involved.But as they watched, the surrounding forest proved to be full of wildlife.Someone had protected them somehow.An animal-loving freak?They didn't know and decided to go home until another clue or another explosion presented itself.

Once they got there, they found that Vegeta was missing.When Goku decided his head hurt and retreated to his room, Trunks cornered Yamcha.

"What was Piccolo saying earlier?"

Yamcha felt obligated, in a way, to answer, but had some questions of his own first: "Trunks, who are you?Where are you from?"

Unhappy about being given the run-around, he unconsciously mimicked his father in both tone and attitude, "My name is Trunks.I'm from about 17 years in the future, and I came here in a time machine my mom built."Yamcha went pale at the mention."My father, Goku, you, and almost everyone else died when I was a baby in the Androids' attack.Gohan was the only survivor.He taught me to fight."Trunks was losing patience, and his sentences became shorter, more clipped."I'm here to get Goku to help me defeat the Androids of my time.I came three years ago to warn him.Now I'm back.And I WANT TO KNOW WHY PICCOLO SAID THAT ABOUT MY MOM!!!"He finished his speech with a roar.And then, because his mom told him to be nice to her friends while he was back in time, he added in a subdued voice, "Please."

By the time Trunks had started shouting, everyone with common sense had left.Including Chi-Chi and Chibi Trunks.

"Oh, Trunks…"Yamcha searched for the words to say what he had to."I really think you should ask Vegeta about this.Or Goku.It's not my place-"Suddenly he felt a hand near his throat, not yet touching it.

"I can change that.Want me to?"Trunks knew he was out of line, and he could see that this was hard for Yamcha, but ever since Piccolo told him to talk to his father, he'd had the worst feeling in the pit of his stomach.He knew what they were going to tell him.

"Trunks, calm down!Kami, Trunks!Sit."As soon as Trunks was back in his seat, Yamcha closed his eyes and began talking.He did not want to see the deathblow."Bulma was depressed.She had been forever.Goku and I both knew, so did Chi-Chi and your dad.She used to be a cutter.Do you know what that means?"He dared open his eyes and look at the teen.

"Yeah, I do.I think maybe she still is.I smell blood.She tells me she was cooking or there was an accident in the lab.I don't bug her about it, though."As Trunks admitted this, he seemed so far away…

"She stopped, a long time ago, before any Saiya-jin besides Goku was on Chikyuu.We thought she was better, that your grandparents had gotten her help.Your grandfather did know, I think.But a few months ago, she did something.She-"

"No!Don't you tell me she's dead!Fix it!She's never been wished back before!Use the Dragon Balls, Yamcha.I'll go look for them now."While he talked, his near-insane eyes were focused on Yamcha, but with the last line, he stood.

Yamcha felt the tears rise in his eyes and the bile in his stomach.He grabbed the hysterical teenager's wrists and slammed him into the wall before practically screaming, "No!And don't you _ever_ mention that to any of us again!My God, if you said that to your dad or Goku…I don't know what they'd do!Bulma swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills one afternoon and wrote a note to keep your younger self away from your dad.Vegeta is the one who found her!"Yamcha didn't even try to hold back his tears anymore.They flowed in rivers down his face, and his voice and eyes became distant as he slipped into the old memories.

After a few moments, he pulled himself out and the fierceness returned to his eyes."Don't you get it?Trunks, what she did _cannot_ just be forgiven!She _killed_ herself!She had a degree in pharmocology, remember?She _knew_ what those drugs were!We've _all_ been dead before, and not one of us can understand why someone would do that willingly."Yamcha knew when he made his point as real, not hysterical, tears began to fall from Trunks' eyes, as well.He softened his tone, "Trunks, I've never seen anyone as beaten as your father was that night.He didn't notice, but Goku and I were there, later, when they…It killed him.And to think that she didn't want him near you when it was _you_ he was fighting for…Everyone went against her wishes and let him take you.

"Maybe you don't understand, but there is no way any of us _can_ wish her back, at least with a clear conscience.She trashed her life, Trunks.I don't think any of us would even _dream_ of wishing her back.And even if someone wanted to, there has to be some kind of rule against it!The dragon would consider it a wasted wish, at the very least.And what if we did and she did it again?Trunks…"The last word was a whisper.Yamcha suddenly felt exhausted.He hadn't been in the fight today, but the stress of waiting, the anticipation of Trunks finding out…They had done him in.But the stress from waiting was nothing like the stress of actually telling the demi-Saiya-jin.

"I get it, Yamcha.Please…Put me down now?"Yamcha complied."You're right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.I just want her ok."

Trunks was shaking as Yamcha put a hand on his shoulder, "I'll go see if the guest room is ready.I know they won't mind of you stayed here."The room was ready for company, but Yamcha himself had stayed enough that he knew where everything was even if it hadn't been.He sent Trunks upstairs to at least nap before he returned to the living room.He knew they'd have to deal with a lot more from the boy in the days to come.This wasn't over yet, and there was a lot they still needed to tell him.For now, though, at least one hurdle had been passed.

Yamcha sat on the edge of a chair, put his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees, and quietly cried.

***

From the rear of the house, Vegeta silently thanked Yamcha for taking care of at least this first part of things for him before he wiped the lone tear and flew off to think.

***

In the bedroom, Goku put the pillow over his head to muffle both the outside noises and the inside sobs.Unlike Trunks, though, he knew bringing her back wouldn't help anything.

***

Outside, a couple of kilometers down the road, Gohan surprised the group of runaways with a sudden question:"Um, no one went back and got Yajirobe off that cliff, did they?"

***

In the dark, on a high cliff overlooking the remnants of the island where the Androids first appeared, a lone soul screamed, "They'll be here.Just as soon as they figure out they can't live without my greatness!"

***

And that night, strange dreams once again visited the Son house.But they didn't come to see Vegeta.

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A/N:The scene between "Ten-chan" and "'ji-san" (Don't for a second think those are going to be their real names!) was inspired by an old Warner Bros. Tweety cartoon.The girl down the hall does it great!It's from before Tweety changed his image, and Sylvester falls off some building or something.Tweety goes, "Poor, poor puddy tat," in this really solemn voice, "Poor, poor puddy tat.He fall down, go **_BOOM!!!_**"So funny.Totally solemn until that last word.

Damn me to hell many times over for the things I have done!*cough, cough* cliffhangers! *cough, cough*

But psuedo-seriously, guys, did I make the changes too abrupt?Sometimes I think they are, but I'm leaving it this way.Laters!


	8. Yume

Oy, vey

Standard warnings/possibles: angst, OOC bishonen running around, kawaii little chibi-people, easily amused OC running amuck with explosives (but that was fun!), and a deranged authoress who just wants sleep!But that would mean being unlazy enough to go to bed…Nah…OH!And I totally screwed up the Saiya-jin timeline.I know it, and I don't care!Also, as this is an AU, you're just going to have to take a couple of things on faith.*g*

I disclaim already!

If Tomorrow Never… - Ch. 7 - Yume

_Any time, Day or Night,_

_Don't care if it's Wrong or Right,_

_I'm still on your side._

~Still on Your Side, BBMak

_He didn't know why they couldn't come.There they were, just beyond his reach.Snarling, trying to snare him.Something kept them back._

_ _

_Something wouldn't let them take him._

_ _

_And he didn't know whether to hate that force or not._

_ _

_Still muddling his way through these feelings, he didn't notice the nightmare demons dissipate, and he descended into a black, dreamless sleep._

***

She sat back, still trying to catch her breath from the invasion.This one's dreams were worse than Vegeta's!The teenager's nightmares were the ones that drove you to madness, the ones she had experienced at the hands of… monsters all those years ago.Tears almost pricked at her eyes, but she fought them, determined not to show weakness.Thank the kami she hadn't been old enough then to fully understand what they wanted with her.

Mind firmly reset to her main concern, Trunks, she didn't notice the beast of a man walking over to her until he thrust a mug into her hands, saying only, "Drink."

"Mm," she accepted the cup but set it aside, knowing it held something to make her drowsy.She couldn't drink it now.She had to _think_.

Vegeta's dreams were expected, mostly memories of actual events with a sprinkling of guilt thrown in.Considering the way his life read, the girl was honestly amazed that they weren't worse.A few sleepless nights before she found him, some tears, a close bond to his son, a new relationship with a good friend…That was what came from his dreams.Overall, the good balanced, if not outweighed, the bad.To her, anyway.

But, dammit, she was still jealous of that brat!

_'Oh, this is getting me nowhere,'_ she thought with a frown.That frown deepened as she realized two more people had been able to sneak up on her.Suddenly her frown gave way to a giggle._'At least these two aren't real people!If they were alive, I'd be a disgrace!'_

The two un-real people sitting next to her looked at each other.And back to the uncontrollably giggling girl.And then over to the tall, dark-haired man in the doorway.Three voices rang out in the otherwise silent room, agreeing for once: "It's time for bed, missy."One of the un-real people, a teenaged boy with shoulder-length black hair, reached over and picked her up as his companion, a girl with pale blonde hair, grabbed the lightly-drugged tea.The three went into the larger of the two bedrooms and quickly got the smallish girl changed into her PJs before forcing the tea down her throat.

Once finished, she smiled serenely at the duo and climbed into bed peacefully.Believe it they may not, but she knew she was out of it.Sleep hadn't come easily these past weeks.Involving herself in Vegeta's dreams had dredged up memories of her childhood better forgotten, leaving her to deal with her own nightmares, plus the problem of actually having to be awake to dreamwalk kept her sleeping schedule irregular in general.

While a drugged sleep tended to leave her cranky in the morning, she welcomed the dreamless slumber.Even if she did dream, she never remembered.

***

Trunks walked around the blackness trying to find something, anything in the room.It had to be a room, he decided, but he couldn't decide why.A voice joined him in the void, and he spun toward it.

_ _

_"Oi, Dream Boy, chill.You couldn't take me even if you weren't a figment of my imagination."_

_ _

_"Figment of ­_your_ imagination?!?_Excuse me, this is my_ dream."_

_ _

_"Well, then, that does present us with an interesting situation," the girl drawled, and as she drew closer Trunks took the opportunity to examine her.She was shorter than he, he could tell that even from this distance, long dark hair, likely black, his age, maybe younger, the grace and eyes of a panther.An alert, hungry panther._

_ _

_He gulped."Um, hi.I'm Trunks."_

_ _

_She stepped to him, nearly close enough to touch and peered at him.Her hair was indeed black, and he could see the color of her eyes now, bright green like the stone in his mother's favorite necklace.He didn't know the name of the jewel, but it matched."You're Trunks."She smiled, and suddenly seemed a lot less threatening."I wondered what you looked like.You don't feature in your father's nightmares, and I couldn't see you when I stopped yours.I'm Ana."She gestured for him to sit and made herself comfortable._

_ _

_"Nightmares?You?So this is your fault?"_

_ _

_She looked around, a frown replacing the cheerful smile."No, I'm a dreamwalker.I don't do this.When I'm awake, I can find dreams, nightmares mostly, and go in them. Usually the dreamer has some kind of psychic tendencies.Sometimes I can change things, usually if the dreamer accepts me.But I have to be awake.I'm not.'Ji-san let my nursemaids drug me 'cause I was acting funny."She pouted cutely and asked, "Can you believe that?"_

_ _

_He fought the urge to laugh and knew this girl was one he wanted as a friend."So, how'd we get here?"_

_ _

_"I don't know.This doesn't just _happen_, you know._Someone had to join our minds.Anyone asking a favor of the kami, the kami, half the species of the universe…An almost limitless supply of suspects.Doesn't matter to me, though.Why don't we just talk while we're here?Tell each other about ourselves."

_ _

_Trunks hesitated, not particularly wanting to tell his story."You first."_

_ _

_Ana saw his hesitation and decided to make hers long.She knew time passed faster in this realm and wouldn't make him talk if he was uncomfortable."Mm.Where to start…I was a genetics experiment gone awry."Trunks looked at her in shock, mostly that she could sound so calm about that, but a little because she looked so normal."A group of scientists on my planet were trying to make the perfect being.Like _that_ would come out of a lab._Anyway, my genes come from three people: my father, who had the most potential out of any of our warriors in possibly thousands of years; the man I call 'uncle,' one of the scientists; and a third I never knew, supposedly a great psychic.

_ _

_"I and the other children in the experiment were taken before the king and prince.The prince supposedly fell in love with the 6-month-old version of me and adopted me.A few months later, he found out that he was, genetically speaking, my father, and he and the king declared me his heir, while keeping my 'birth' secret."She looked up from her careful examination of her hands.Noticing she had his full attention, she continued her story._

_ _

_"My name, Eriana, was chosen for some reason beyond me.I heard once he said that since my eyes were so unheard of for our people, he chose a non-traditional name to make me even more special. He met a princess of another people with the name, and it stuck…I'll never know unless I ask him, though, will I?But he thinks I'm dead, and from what I've seen in his dreams, I have no inclination to tell him otherwise.I don't know how he'd take it._

_ _

_"Anyway, soon after my second birthday, they tested me for various aptitudes.My scores were odd, and not necessarily what they wanted.I'm very much mechanically and technically inclined, and my mental skills are off any planet's charts.I'm an exceptionally strong telepath-"_

_ _

_"The dreamwalking.That's why you can do it."_

_ _

_Ana nodded, continuing her monologue, "I also have decent telekinetic abilities, an extreme rarity for my people.But when it comes to fighting…I'm weak.I've heard of many species that could beat me in hand-to-hand.The only thing that saves me in fights is my ability to draw ki from other sources.I think it's somehow a part of my telepathic abilities, though.I can drain my opponent of their entire lifeforce if given the time."She looked Trunks in the eye, hoping to convey how serious she was._

_ _

_He got it.And he also understood that she must have had a heck of a time growing up with those powers.And being told she was a failure, a bad experiment...He could somehow sense an aura of loneliness around her.Not the kind of loneliness that comes from solitude, but the kind from being truly alone, no friends, no one to understand you.He recognized the feeling as one of his own after Gohan's death.His mom was great, but not exactly what he needed. He knew what Ana was lacking, and it took him less than .05 seconds to make up his mind._

_ _

_Ana saw his serious face and knew he was reflecting on the story she told.She also felt one of them slowly being pulled from the dream world and didn't want him to leave feeling _worse_._Quickly, she sent out a bit of her influence to each of them, burrowing them both deeper in sleep for a few minutes more."Hey, Trunks?"

_ _

_"Yeah, imouto-chan?"Now Trunks was the bearer of the evil smirk._

_ _

_Ana double-blinked before asking, "Imouto?"Quickly recovering from her shock, she shot back, "As I recall, you're an infant!"_

_ _

_"Well I may be from the future, but I bet I'm older right now than you are right now."_

_ _

_"Kisama.You have a point.You are currently older than I am."_

_ _

_Trunks thought for half a second about being shocked at her vocabulary but having been around stubborn people like his dad and Goku, he realized it just wouldn't do any good."Hey, don't sound so glum, sis.Now you have me."He reached over to pull the girl into a hug."And I won't ever call you a mistake, 'k?"_

_ _

_Ana thought through the ramifications of allowing this charade to continue, of not telling him the truth, but realized she didn't have time to do otherwise."Ok…" She could tell he was still bothered, though, and decided she could do something about that."Trunks, I know a neat trick."_

_ _

_"Is it a dumb thing to do?"_

_ _

_"No!Come here."Once he was close, she concentrated her telepathy to duplicating two of her favorite languages and implanting them in his head."To you, 'nii-san, I bestow the gift of language."She pulled back with a grin at Trunks' confused expression."You'll get it later."_

_ _

_Trunks didn't know what she had done, but somehow he felt Ana was trustworthy and hadn't done anything to hurt him."Thanks, I think."A panicked look spread over his face as he noticed black fog obscuring his vision. "Hey, you're fading!How will I find you?"_

_ _

_"I don't know.Maybe we'll meet in our dreams again.Don't fight it, Trunks.Trying to stay here will make your head hurt."_

_ _

_She watched him disappear and grinned ruefully to herself."So this is how it feels to be on the other side."_

***

Soon enough, the drug wore off and the refreshed girl returned to the land of the living.She stretched out her senses and saw everyone in what passed for their den.She could feel strain in the air and frowned a little.Stumbling out of bed, Ana went to find out what was wrong.

"'Morning."

"'Morning, brat.Come look at this."Ana's guardian had laid out some of the plans they had stolen from the lab.This particular set was printed from the information she had stolen on the most recent project, the one they had destroyed."What do you think?"

"It's not finished, not complete.The power supply is all wrong.It couldn't function without-How?"

"These _are _the final plans.Look at this, and this over here."The man pointed out some of the finer points of the machine that concerned him.

"It's to absorb machine parts."She turned unbelieving eyes to meet his after reading more of the symbols on the large paper."Shimatta, it's supposed to take a pre-existing fuel supply!"The two living beings turned their attention to the Androids flanking the Saiya-jin girl and the redhead sitting on the couch across from them."But we destroyed it."  
  


"I hope so, but now that I've seen this, something feels wrong."

Having been saved more than once by her uncle's "feelings" and noticing a peculiar unease in her own stomach, Ana immediately agreed with his next statement:

"I think it would be wise for the three of you to stay in the apartment for a while.Ten, I want you to start going through the rest of the files for any more surprises."

She gathered the plans from the other Saiya-jin and moved to the computer against the wall."Hai.Juunana, wanna help?"

***

Trunks morning was different from his recently-adopted sister's.He woke immediately after the dream to find himself still dressed and sleeping on a rather soggy pillow."Blech."

After a quick shower and change, he went downstairs for breakfast.He wasn't really paying attention to anything or anyone.His mind was too busy going over every part of last night's dream.Was any of it real?Was she somewhere out there?And what was it about her father's dreams that made her want to stay hidden?Stay alone?

The others watched Trunks, concerned that he seemed so unaware of his settings, especially after the fit he'd pitched the previous night.Even Chibi-Trunks was watching him.And doing something with his food that was not eating, which caused Vegeta, who happened to be sitting between him and Mirai Trunks, to find himself covered in mashed… something… and utter a string of colorful phrases in his native language.

Mirai Trunks stopped cold.He understood every word his father had said.

@@@

Now is the time I expect everyone to run for the hills, shouting behind them, "Get a life, Dreamer!You suck!"When I first wrote this, I thought the same.But when I reread it, it almost made sense.Go figure.

So, has everyone figured everything out yet?Methinks I gave away all my secrets.LI like secrets.Oh, wait.Maybe I do have one or two more…After all, who connected Ana and Trunks?Or why I put things in the "warning/possibles" that actually happened in previous chapters?That's a really good question…

Can someone please remind me which was the first town Cell attacked?The one where he killed everybody?Ginger Town in the dub or something, maybe?

To the best of my knowledge, this is definitely past the halfway point.Which is good!Me go seepy now.J


	9. Family

If Tomorrow Never… - Ch

Nope, don't own any of 'em!'Cept Ana, I guess.

Warnings for this part include major-bad language and shortness.Don't think anything else came up…

Looking for a beta reader, so if you're interested, email me, please![lil.dreamer@excite.com][1]

If Tomorrow Never… - Ch. 8 - Family

In the Son home, which had somehow evolved into "Anyone who wants to stay over"'s house, the first day after Trunks' explosion was only the beginning of the weirdness.As the hours turned to days and the days to weeks, soon a whole month passed.Everyone became more concerned about Trunks' behavior.He never mentioned Bulma, and if anyone ever said anything to him about her, he didn't respond.His attention seemed focused on other things, and he slept more and more, as much as 14 hours some days.

Vegeta came up with excuses to spend time with the boy, sparring, taking Chibi-Trunks out, anything he could think of, and their sparring became much more focused.Goku spent hours every day talking to them both, but neither of the full-blooded Saiya-jin could see a difference in the boy's mental state.Gohan, Chi-chi, Yamcha, they all did what they could to help as well, but nothing worked any better than leaving him alone had.

Unfortunately, none of the Z-senshi would soon be able to spend any time at all worrying about Trunks' unnatural reaction if Kami's prediction was right.Piccolo had left the day before to talk with him about it, but no one had heard anything back from either of them.

The search for the Androids had continued, as well, with no traces found.If the supposed backup even existed, it was great at covering its tracks.They rarely took time to search for them now, preferring to spend time training for the threatened enemy.

But Goku and his friends weren't the only ones preparing to go up against this enemy, nor were they the only ones worrying about the peculiar new habits of one of their own.

Not too far away from the Z-senshi was a somewhat dysfunctional family also facing the prospect of a new enemy.Unlike the senshi, though, this group had information.They knew the name and mission of their target, and they even had its designer's original specs.

They also had one or two problems working together.

"'Ji-san, tell Juunana he can't come!He has to stay in the house, remember?!?"A very petulant Ana was tired of being treated like she was a little doll.All she wanted was to be able to go out without a baby-sitter.Just one small thing, really.For the last month, though, or ever since those Androids had come into her life, she'd been under a figurative lock and key.They had taken their new programming, watching and protecting their princess, very seriously.Too seriously, some may think watching the obvious disgust, anger, and frustration play across Ana's face.

"Your concern is noted, Juunana, but in this case, she's right.Ten, if you insist on going out tonight, at least get the groceries while you're gone."Though he didn't like letting her go out alone after the way she'd been acting lately, he couldn't leave, and letting one of the Androids go with her would be inviting trouble.This last month had been hard on all five of them.Something was affecting the princess' dreams, leaving her generally tired and cranky and causing her mind-blowing headaches, and her dreamwalking was becoming unstable, leading to physical side effects that frightened her caretakers.

"Hai!"_Score!_Ana raced from her position in the doorway to grab her uncle in the hugest hug he could remember getting in a very long time.The lines caused from worrying about Cell, from trying to instill some discipline into his charge, from life in general these last few years magically vanished, and the near-smile made him look much younger.Ana beamed back at the large man before snatching her coat and running out the door.

"That girl," he calmly announced to anyone within hearing range, "is going to be the death of me yet."

***

Ana slowed as she reached the end of the block.Alone time was a good thing, especially now that she had people around to remind her of that fact.She adored the Androids, and they'd become indispensable quickly, helping her uncle with his projects and keeping her boredom at bay.But they were clingy, and since they didn't require any type of downtime, they were always around.Sometimes a girl just had to be alone, and tonight was one of those nights.

Since that first night, she'd continued to meet Trunks three or four times a week in the dream world, where the kindred spirits found they had a sympathetic ear for all their problems.Slowly, the two got to know almost everything about each other, and though they didn't live far apart, they decided to keep their communication restricted to their dreams.

For two weeks Ana didn't know who was pulling them together, and now that she did, she didn't know what to think about the whole thing.She didn't tell Trunks about the third presence, keeping it from him as she had so many other things.Ana felt the anger rise as she thought about that bitch.If only it weren't impossible to kill someone in a dream…Or someone already dead…

_"You're still hiding from him.Still lying to him."_

_ _

_Ana turned to the voice, stopping abruptly as the face came into view."You!Why the hell-"_

_ _

_"Have I brought you here?For your own good.For your father's well-being.For your brother's.You need-"_

_ _

_"What the fuck do you know about what I need?Or what they need?You're the one who left.You left your rights to butt in at the same damn time!"_

_ _

_"Oh?Then why am I here, Eriana?I want what's best for them, and you happen to be it.I never was."_

_ _

_"Maybe in another lifetime you would have been.Maybe I could have liked you.Maybe you don't care.But what you did to my _family_ was unconscionable!"_

_ _

_"You don't think I realize that?!?I'm not the only one who's hurting them, you know.How do you think he's going to react when he finds out about you, _sister_?You've lied to him for as long as you've known him."_

_ _

_"Maybe so, but those lies keep him from getting hurt.He doesn't need any part of my screwed up life right now."_

_ _

_"Tell him."_

_ _

_"No, not until he's ready."_

_ _

_"You're just like your father, you know, a stubborn Saiya-jin."The voice was quieter now, almost affectionate._

_ _

"I am nothing like him.Ask him yourself.Oops, I forgot.You can't.You have no power over someone consciously blocking you out.Go, Dad."With that, the spirit threw Ana violently out of the dream world.

Ana woke from that dream sobbing and with a headache that lasted for days.But that night was the first of many conversations/confrontations between the two.They continued to talk every night after Trunks left, though there was no hope of a reconciliation between them.There was too much resentment because of what the other had or gave up or refused to take.

Ana's only stop that night was to pick up her uncle's groceries.She was too lost in thought to stop anywhere else.She still didn't know how to tell Trunks that the one pulling them together was none other than his own mother, who also just happened to be Ana's wicked stepmother.

@@@

Short, I know, but this story had totally run away from me.I'm on the trail, but it doesn't want to be found!

I'm leaving the country June 1 and won't be back until July 5, so don't expect any updates during that month.Gomen.I hope to get some more out before I go, though.

   [1]: mailto:lil.dreamer@excite.com



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